Hi! My name is Jamie and I am from the beautiful state of California. I was born there and raised by my wonderful parents in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. After high school, I attended the University of California, Berkeley and graduated with my B.A. in English Language and Literature in 2009. By career I am an English as a foreign language teacher. By hobby I am a decorator, cook, baker, artist and all-around coziness expert--after all, 'cozy' was my very first word!
Three and a half years ago, before I had finished college, I did a pilgrimage across northern Spain. It was 500 miles (800 kilometers) long and lasted 30 days. I thought it would be an excellent chance to learn about myself, push myself to my limits and gain a little perspective on what is important in life. Each day I discovered new things about myself, about life and about what I wanted out of it. To this day, it is the most incredible, life-altering experience I have ever had.
In addition to finding myself on El Camino, I fell in love. It was probably my parents' worst nightmare, but to me, it was exciting and the start of a whole new chapter in my life. A year and a half later, I packed all of my belongings into two (very large) suitcases and moved halfway across the world to Bavaria, Germany. I found a job, rented an apartment with my then-boyfriend and learned what it was like to live in a foreign country.
Since then, I have made it my mission to turn what can some days feel like a completely different world into a home. I have learned about the less-glamorous side of living abroad--it's not all skiing in the Alps and sunbathing in San Tropez--and have overcome my fair share of obstacles. I have also met amazing people and built a beautiful life and home, all on my small teacher's income.
Here I share with you some tricks that I have learned along the way on how to build yourself a comfortable home away from home and a cozy life. I believe that surrounding yourself with beautiful spaces, people, things and hobbies that you love is the key to happiness. I will share a lot of decorating information and inspiration, stuff on style, fun, food, travel and more. Of course, you'll also hear a lot about life in Germany! Get ready for lots of beers and bratwursts!
